Page 241 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

11066. Were they men? - Yes. 11067. Were they carrying their baggage with them? - They were carrying and dragging boxes and bags. 11068. Were they making their way aft towards the top deck? - Towards aft. 11069. Tell us shortly where you went? - From E deck up on to B deck up the service stairs. 11070. Tell us what happened there? - There I met Mr. Latimer on the B deck. 11071. He is your chief - the Chief Steward? - Yes, and he had his big coat on with a lifebelt over it and I told him to take his big coat off and put the lifebelt under it or his big coat would be no use to him. Then I went along forward and up the forward stairway up on to the boat deck and there I saw they were just filling No. 9 boat, starboard. The Solicitor-General: I do not think we have heard anything about No. 9. The Commissioner: I think this will be a convenient time to adjourn. (The Witness withdrew.) The Attorney-General: With reference to Monday there is a question which has arisen. The Commissioner: It would be better if we sat on Monday unless it is inconvenient to you. My convenience is entirely your convenience. It does not matter to me, but I thought Commander Lyon, who desires to be somewhere else, could go to keep his other appointment and read the evidence that is given on Monday, afterwards. Is there any objection? The Attorney-General: I see no objection. Sir Robert-Finlay: I see no objection. The Commissioner: I thought not. The reason why I want to sit on Monday is, I am afraid if we do not use such time as we have at present we shall find ourselves in an awkward position later on. I do not propose to sit on Saturday. The Attorney-General: Then as I understand, what your Lordship proposes to do is to adjourn tomorrow evening till Monday? The Commissioner: Yes, till Monday morning. Is that convenient to you? The Attorney-General: Certainly I understand it is convenient to everybody. The Commissioner: That will do, Mr. Scanlan, will it? Mr. Scanlan: Yes, my Lord. The Attorney-General: I think it will be desirable to have this made clear. I understand that none of the parties represented would object to Commander Lyon being absent on Monday and reading the evidence. The Commissioner: I do not know. The Attorney-General: I know your Lordship’s view, but I do not want a question to arise. The Commissioner: These gentlemen are sitting with me as assessors, and my present feeling is that I could go on without any of them, but I do not choose to. One of them has to go away for an appointment which is of some importance, and it occurs to me it would be far better for us to go on and let that gentleman read the evidence afterwards. Is there any objection? Sir Robert Finlay: Not the slightest, my Lord. Mr. Scanlan: I can say for myself, and I think for my colleagues here that none of us do object. The Commissioner: I take it nobody objects . The Attorney-General: No. Sir Robert Finlay: By common consent, my Lord. The Attorney-General: Your Lordship will remember on the occasion that Sir Robert Finlay applied that the cross examination of Hendrickson should be taken on Friday morning; and I suppose tomorrow morning we can go on with him the first thing? Sir Robert Finlay: Or this witness might be finished.